Michelle

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Girl · Hebrew, through French

Michelle

Say it: mih-SHEL

Try it with your surname

Meaning

French feminine of Michel (Michael), Hebrew 'who is like God?'.

Certainscholars agree on this meaning.

Popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s, helped by the Beatles' song 'Michelle' (1965).

Its wave through time

A fashion of the 1960s

In the United States

815,880 babies given this name since 1915
At its height in 1969, about 1 in 49 girls
916 babies in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

French American English

The family of the name

Other spellings: Michele, Michell

Italian	Michela
Spanish	Micaela
German	Michaela

Famous bearers

Michelle Obama, US First Lady

Names worth a look

StephanieGirlFrench feminine of Stephen, from Greek stephanos 'crown, garland'.Modern · peak 1984

AnnaGirlGreek and Latin form of Hebrew Ḥannah, 'grace, favour'.Biblical · peak 1891

EmmaGirlGermanic short form of names beginning with ermen/irmin 'whole, great, universal'.Early Medieval · peak 1885

AmyGirlFrom Old French amée 'beloved'.Middle Ages · peak 1975

CatherineGirlGreek Aikaterinē, of unknown origin. Its link to katharos 'pure' is a later folk etymology that changed the Latin…Early Medieval · peak 1909

VirginiaGirlFrom the Roman family name Verginius, of uncertain origin, though long associated with Latin virgo 'maiden'.Rome · peak 1922

MichaelBoyHebrew Mikha'el, 'who is like God?', a rhetorical question.Biblical · peak 1969

MicheleBoyFrom Hebrew Mikha'el 'who is like God?'.Middle Ages · peak 1968

Where this comes from

United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.